Chief executive officer jobs in london, greater london

As a lawyer at The Animal Law Foundation, you will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission to protect animals through legal interventions. You will work closely with the Executive Director and supervise members of the legal team to identify and develop legal opportunities, you will also work closely with the Advocacy and Communications Officer to raise awareness of the legal interventions.

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of a ground-breaking new charity and create meaningful change in the animal protection landscape in the UK.

Position: Lawyer

Contract Term: 1-year fixed term with a view of renewing

Organisation: The Animal Law Foundation

Location: London (On-site) 

Salary: £32,000 to £45,000

mary Duties and Responsibilities

• Legal Strategy: Collaborate with our Executive Director to develop and implement effective legal strategies to advance our objectives. Conduct research and analysis to identify key issues and tactics to drive impactful change.

• Supervise: Supervise the legal caseworkers in their legal strategy and research. 

• Advocacy opportunities: Communicate legal strategy with the Advocacy and Communications Officer to ensure opportunities to advocate and communicate are not missed. 

• Public Relations: Represent The Animal Law Foundation at events, conferences, and public forums to raise awareness of animal law and policy issues. Collaborate with partner organisations and stakeholders to amplify our legal strategy and build strategic alliances.

• Project Evaluation: Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of legal initiatives. Analyse data and feedback to inform future strategies and improve outcomes.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with key stakeholders, including lawmakers, government agencies, NGOs, and the public, to build support for our objectives. Coordinate advocacy efforts, coalition-building, and public consultations.

More information can be found in the job pack. 

What does The Animal Law Foundation do? 

The Animal Law Foundation was registered with the Charity Commission in August 2022. It is primarily a legal research charity that looks into neglected areas of animal law and where appropriate will instruct lawyers to bring legal challenges to secure any systems in place to protect animals function as they should.

Groups like this exist in the environmental and the human rights space in the UK and in the animal protection space in other countries. There is a desperate need for such work to exist for animals in the UK. 

The UK still has some of the best animal welfare laws in the world, yet the opportunity for vast change contained within these laws is rarely explored. Through exploring these opportunities the whole system for animals can be improved and set global examples. 

It is of vital importance that laws that exist to protect animals are understood and applied. The Animal Law Foundation will work alongside stakeholders to ensure that this happens. 

Safe Passage International is seeking a strategic Head of Fundraising to lead the next chapter of our growth. Reporting to the Chief Executive, this is a unique opportunity to join a dynamic international organisation working to open safe and legal routes for refugees and displaced people, with registered operations in the UK, Greece, and France.

Building on a strong foundation of over £2 million in annual income—60–70% of which is unrestricted—you will shape and deliver a bold fundraising strategy that supports our long-term sustainability and impact. You’ll be excited by the challenge of being part of the leadership team at Safe Passage, diversifying income streams, deepening donor engagement, and unlocking new opportunities to fund life-changing work.

Key Responsibilities

· Lead the development and implementation of Safe Passage’s fundraising strategy.

· Drive income growth across individual giving, trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, and community fundraising.

· Motivate, manage and inspire a high-performing team.

· Collaborate closely with senior leadership to align fundraising with organisational priorities, as part of the Senior      Leadership Team. 

About You

You are a strategic and innovative thinker with a track record of delivering fundraising success. You thrive in a collaborative environment and are passionate about creating long-term solutions for refugees and families. You bring:

· Proven experience in leading successful fundraising teams and strategies.

· Strong financial acumen and data-driven decision-making.

· Excellent relationship-building skills with donors, partners, and colleagues.

· A deep commitment to social justice and Safe Passage’s mission.

Fundraising experience for an international charity and working across different countries and cultures are desirable but not essential. 

Why Join Us?

At Safe Passage, you’ll be part of a courageous, compassionate team making a real difference. We offer:

· A supportive and inclusive culture.

· Opportunities for professional development.

· The chance to shape the future of a growing international charity.

Ready to lead change?
Apply now and help us build a world where everyone has the right to seek safety.

We value equity and diversity in our organisation and are striving to build a workforce reflective of the communities we work with. We encourage applications from people of all ethnicities, working ages, genders, sex, sexual orientations, faiths (or none), marital statuses (or none) and pregnancy status. We also have full flexible working policies to support people with disabilities and caring responsibilities. People with refugee or asylum-seeking backgrounds are experts by experience and are particularly encouraged to apply.

As Partnerships Officer, you will play a central role in managing high-quality relationships with Martingale’s growing network of partners, while also supporting the governance and operational functions of the organisation. Working closely with the CEO, senior leadership, and our existing Partnerships Officer, you will help ensure that funders, supporters, and mission-aligned organisations feel valued, engaged, and recognised for their contribution to Martingale’s success.

A key part of your role will be to strengthen relationships with funders and university partners, building long-term commitment to Martingale’s mission. You will manage relationships with multiple departments across our ten partner universities, coordinating internally to ensure these partnerships run smoothly. Alongside this, you will support the operation of Martingale’s key governance bodies, including the Advisory Board, Student Advisory Board, Academic Advisory Committee and Scholarship Selection Committee, ensuring timely communications, accurate records, and positive engagement with members. You will also lead on partnerships with aligned charities that connect our Scholars to earlier stages of the STEM pipeline.

You will be responsible for communications and reporting across our supporter network, ensuring partnerships are effective and mutually beneficial. We are looking for a strong communicator with experience in partnership management and external relations. You may have demonstrated this through cross-organisational projects, even if it was not your primary role. You will bring excellent organisational skills, a proactive mindset, and a strong alignment with Martingale’s mission. We welcome applicants from a range of career paths who are excited to be part of a growing, fast-paced charity delivering meaningful impact.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead on the delivery of the partner relations strategy, working with our 40+ partners to effectively build long-term successful relationships. In collaboration with the CEO, you will support new and existing funders, in-kind supporters, partner charities, and Ambassadors, ensuring they feel valued, informed and connected to Martingale’s mission.
• Strengthen and deepen relationships with partners through a structured and personalised programme of engagement, recognition, and reporting, including invitations to events throughout the academic year.
• Oversight of all university partnerships, including reporting, communications, and course confirmations. This will include working closely with all Martingale staff for effective management of key partnership contacts across development offices, multiple departments, and doctoral programmes.
• Oversee the smooth running of Martingale’s governance bodies, building on the existing governance framework to ensure continuity across the different groups.
• Liaise with the team to maintain accurate records of both financial and in-kind contributions.
• Lead on the development and delivery of the annual impact report, alongside bespoke reports for funders as appropriate.
• Accurate record keeping of partnership engagement on Martingale’s CRM.
• Build a range of case studies on Scholars, partner universities, funders, and other supporters to strengthen Martingale’s messaging to new funders.
• Work closely with the other Partnerships Officer to ensure fundraising campaign targets are met, providing relevant materials and support where needed.
• Support in the delivery of key Martingale events such as Solve for X and our annual Welcome Dinner
• The post holder will carry out any other duties as are within the scope, spirit, and purpose of the role as requested by the line manager.

Key Requirements:

Essential Criteria

• Right to work in the UK

Experience and skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively communicate with diverse audiences.
• Experience in account management, managing external stakeholder relationships or partnerships successfully.
• Able to assimilate complex information quickly, identifying the pertinent points and making them accessible for a wider audience.
• Excellent project management skills with experience of managing multiple projects/workstream and priorities simultaneously, while maintaining attention to detail, prioritising, and meeting deadlines.
• Ability to network and build new connections.
• Advanced IT proficiency: Spreadsheet, Word Processing, CRM or Databases, Email, Web-based applications.

Desirable

• Experience of generating new and successful strategic partnerships.
• Experience working in the higher education sector with university students, staff, and academics.
• Experience using the Adobe suite to produce high-quality documents.
• Experience in working with governance boards and/or trustees.

Personal Characteristics

• Excellent interpersonal skills: able to build rapport and trusting relationships, able to work co-operatively in a multidisciplinary setting.
• A commitment to Martingale’s mission to support postgraduate students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Comfortable working in a rapidly growing and changing organisation with a degree of ambiguity – confident to create processes and ways forward where they might not yet exist.
• Creative and innovative: willing to think outside the box to maximise reach.
• Resourceful, able to act on initiative, hardworking, detail-oriented, and systematic.

Executive and Finance Officer

We’re looking for a proactive and highly organised Executive and Finance Officer to play a vital role in the operations of Centre for Mental Health.

This varied and interesting role supports our CEO and Board, managing day-to-day operations and taking on key finance and HR responsibilities. This will include financial support: reconciling accounts, processing invoices, supporting our Board by organising meetings and helping with many aspects of recruitment, onboarding and assisting our staff team. In this role, you will be at the heart of our team’s success.

You will need to bring outstanding organisational skills, strong IT ability, and experience in financial processes (with knowledge of Sage 50). Experience of working in a charity is desirable.

About us
We’re Centre for Mental Health. We take the lead in challenging policies, systems and society, so that everyone can have better mental health. We do this by building research evidence to create fairer mental health policy.

By joining our small, friendly and dedicated team, you’ll help us create a fairer society and drive forward sustainable policy change, pursue equality, social justice and good mental health for all. 

The closing date for applications is 7th October 23:59.

Interviews will be held in person at our office in Elephant and Castle, on Tuesday 21 October between 10am and 5pm.

Executive Director of Brand, Marketing & Fundraising

Location: Any Crisis office across Great Britain, hybrid working with weekly meetings in London
Salary: £120,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent

At Crisis, we believe that homelessness should not exist, and together we can end it. Our bold 10-year strategy is already driving change but with homelessness rising and funding challenges increasing, we know we must think differently, act courageously, and inspire more people to join us.

We’re looking for an exceptional leader to shape the future of our brand, marketing and fundraising. This is a chance to combine creativity, strategy and purpose, ensuring that our voice is heard, our supporters feel deeply connected, and our income grows to meet the scale of our ambition.

What you’ll do

As Executive Director of Brand, Marketing & Fundraising, you will:

• Provide inspirational leadership to a talented directorate and play a vital role as part of our Senior Leadership Team, reporting directly to the CEO.
• Lead the development of a multi-year fundraising plan that drives sustainable, diverse income and enables Crisis to scale its life-changing work — including our new ambition of direct housing delivery.
• Refresh and strengthen the Crisis brand, building awareness, trust and influence across Great Britain.
• Grow a thriving community of supporters, partners and advocates who stand with us to end homelessness.
• Personally steward high-value relationships and inspire others across the organisation to embrace fundraising and engagement as a shared responsibility.

Who you are

We’re looking for someone who combines vision with action — a leader who brings both strategic insight and personal passion. You will have:

• A strong track record of leading fundraising and supporter engagement at scale, with experience delivering significant income growth.
• Proven success in enhancing a brand to deliver organisational priorities.
• Expertise in strategic marketing, audience engagement, digital innovation and integrated campaigns.
• Experience as part of a senior leadership team, working collaboratively and influencing at Board level.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion and co-production, ensuring that the voices of people with lived experience of homelessness inform our work.
• An inspirational leadership style that motivates, empowers and unlocks potential across teams.

Above all you want to be part of a movement of change-makers determined to end homelessness in our time.

Ready to Learn More?

Click below to view our full Candidate Pack for everything you need to know – including how to apply.

Closing date: Wednesday 15th October, 9am

About the National Pro Bono Centre:

The National Pro Bono Centre brings together charities dedicated to providing pro bono legal services and improving access to justice. We serve as a central resource for charities who help people seeking free legal advice and representation. Our work fosters collaboration, coordination, and improved service delivery among stakeholders in the pro bono sector. Through our work, the Centre supports the wide range of pro bono projects and brokerage which charities provide; helping individuals and communities all over England and Wales get access to justice.

The role:

To build on our achievements, we are looking for someone to lead on strategy, to promote collaboration and coordination across the sector, to maintain and develop relationships with key stakeholders, and to oversee and lead on the growth and development of our portfolio of projects and activities. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic leadership – Continuing to develop NPBC’s strategy in accordance with the vision, mission, strategic priorities, and values of the charity, working together with the Board of Trustees, staff, and our key stakeholders.
• Operational management - Ensuring that the organisation is run efficiently, with robust financial controls.  Managing the small team (3 permanent employees and 3 contractors).  Working with the team on projects and events management.
• Fundraising – Leading on fundraising and building and developing the relationship between NPBC and existing sponsors, as well as seeking out and building relationships with new and potential sponsors.
• Communications - Representing the NPBC in the promotion of its mission, vision and aims externally.
• Governance - Ensuring that the charity is well administered and working with the Board of Trustees to meet its legal, statutory, and regulatory responsibilities.

About you:

We are looking for a strategic planner with a proven record of leading teams or organisations to deliver high quality results.  You will need to be able to demonstrate a strong track record of fundraising through commercial sponsorship and developing lasting relationships with key stakeholder partners to achieve this.

The successful candidate will possess the following skills and qualities:

• Strategic thinker with the ability to develop and articulate a clear vision.
• Leadership style, which encourages, motivates, inspires and develops staff.
• Excellent communicator (both orally and in writing) with effective listening, influencing and negotiation skills.
• An understanding of the key measures of financial management and control in a challenging environment.
• Effective decision-making skills with excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent administrative, organisational and IT skills.
• Intellectual rigour, financial acumen and the ability to accurately analyse and explain complex issues.

Applications

To apply for the role, please submit a copy of your CV with a covering letter. We appreciate that AI can be useful as a tool, particularly if English is your second language. However, we discourage the use of AI for writing CVs and cover letters as, in our experience, it results in a generic voice that does not communicate the unique strengths and motivations of candidates.

Equal Opportunities Statement

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all who work with us and strongly encourage applications from anyone who meets the specific criteria of the post regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender reassignment, marital and civil partnership status, neurodiversity, pregnancy, religion or belief, sexual orientation and socio-economic background.

Data Protection

By applying for this role and sending your covering letter and CV you consent to NPBC using and keeping information about you or by third parties, e.g. referees relating to your application or future employment. This information will be used solely in the recruitment process. For unsuccessful candidates, the information will be destroyed within 6 months unless you have consented to extend this period.

Responsibilities

Executive Assistant to the CEO

• Manage the CEO’s diary, travel arrangements, and general administration (supporting the wider team where needed).

• Manage the CEO’s inbox and LinkedIn messages: triage, prioritise, and draft responses on their behalf where appropriate.

• Support the CEO in engaging with key stakeholders, including funders, trustees, and partners.

• Prepare communications on behalf of the CEO, including blog posts, social media content, and internal updates.

• Identify speaking events and provide briefings for events

• Represent the CEO in meetings, where agreed, and ensure follow-up actions are captured and completed.

• Manage and support cross-organisational projects with multiple stakeholders.
  Provide occasional administrative support to the wider team during peak periods.

Board & Governance Support

• Manage Board of Trustees engagement and communications.
  Coordinate Board meetings, including preparing agendas, collating and distributing Board papers, and taking minutes.

• Support governance procedures and ensure records are maintained in line with compliance requirements.

Office Management & Team Support

• Oversee smooth running of the London office, including supplies, facilities, mail,  and liaising with suppliers.

• Support the Head of People and Culture with HR administration, recruitment coordination, and onboarding.

• Organise and coordinate team events and activities, including away days.

• Help maintain key organisational systems, processes, and documentation.

What we’re looking for

We know not everyone will meet every requirement, but we’re looking for someone who can bring most of the following:

• Proven experience in an EA, PA, or senior admin role, ideally supporting a CEO or senior leadership team.

• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt tone and style for different audiences.
  Confident building relationships at all levels, from team members to trustees, funders, and partners.

• Discretion and sensitivity when dealing with confidential information.
  Proactive problem solver who can anticipate needs and take initiative.

• Comfortable influencing and coordinating colleagues to deliver on shared goals.

• Strong digital skills, including using Google Workspace, and online collaboration tools such as Monday, Salesforce and Slack.

Person Specification 

Essential skills and experience

• Proven experience in an EA, PA, or senior administrative role, ideally supporting a CEO, Director, or senior leadership team.

• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and manage multiple projects at once.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft clear, professional correspondence and adapt style for different audiences.

• Confident relationship-builder, able to engage effectively with colleagues at all levels, trustees, funders, and external partners.

• High level of discretion and integrity when handling confidential information.

• Proactive problem-solver, able to anticipate needs, spot issues, and take initiative.

• Comfortable coordinating colleagues and holding others accountable to deadlines.
  Strong digital skills, including Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), and familiarity with collaboration tools such as Slack, Monday, and Salesforce (or similar CRM).
   

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience supporting a Board of Trustees or similar governance body, including preparing papers and taking minutes.

• Experience working in a charity, social enterprise, or purpose-led organisation.

• Understanding of governance and compliance requirements.

• Event coordination experience (e.g. team away days, workshops, or external events).

• Experience creating or improving processes, systems, and documentation.
   

Personal attributes

• Highly organised and detail-oriented, with a calm and professional approach.

• Flexible and adaptable, able to manage shifting priorities with ease.

• Collaborative and team-oriented, willing to “roll up your sleeves” when needed.

• Confident, approachable, and comfortable working with senior stakeholders.

• Motivated by Hatch’s mission to create a fairer society by supporting underrepresented founders.

Would you like to make a difference?

We are looking for a highly organised and motivated individual to join our team as Executive and Policy Assistant. This is a varied and rewarding role, working directly with the CEO and closely with our Communications and Impact team.

You will provide vital support to the CEO by managing diaries, coordinating meetings and events, preparing briefings and presentations, and acting as a key contact for staff, funders, supporters and the Board. You will also play a hands-on role in our policy and campaigning work — carrying out research, drafting communications and helping to ensure the voices of children, young people and adults with dyslexia are heard at every level.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a busy, purpose-driven environment, can balance multiple priorities, and wants to use their skills to make a meaningful difference for the dyslexia community.

Please carefully review the job description (attached below) for full responsibiliites of the role and essential skills required.

Location - Hybrid - this role is primarily home-based (UK), with the requirement to work from our office in Bracknell once a month, and to travel to London at least once a week, or as needed. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Interview schedule - first stage will take place on Monday 13 October 2025, with second stage taking place on Thursday 16 October 2025.

Job requirements & duties

To plan, prepare and deliver a range of Forest School sessions, with guidance/instruction from the CEO, and support from school staff. Groups will include children and adults with learning disabilities and mental health concerns. The Forest School leader will be expected to:

· Plan and deliver Forest School education-based activities to a wide age range.

· Create and maintain a safe, engaging and supportive environment, demonstrating flexibility in planning and running sessions in response to varying/changing needs of the groups.

· Comply with all health and safety policies, measures and legislation.

· Supervise and support groups with varying needs while delivering sessions.

· Be aware of and comply with all Mudlarks Policies and Procedures.

· Participate in training and other learning activities/meetings as required.

· Administer first aid as the need arises.

· Assist with Risk Assessments where required.

· Follow reporting procedures as outlined by the CEO.

· Ensure that receipts for all purchases are kept and passed to the finance officer.

· Ensure that all spending is approved by the CEO.

· Provide information for reports and Mudlarks trustee meetings.

· You may be required to carry out other duties, as within your capabilities and level of responsibility, in order to meet the needs of the organisation and as requested by the CEO.

Person specification

Education, training & knowledge

Essential

· Experience of leading groups or working with people with learning disabilities.

· First Aid Certificate or a willingness to gain one.

· Level 3 Forest School qualification, or a desire to gain one*.

Skills, abilities & attitudes

Essential

· A strong interest and passion in Forest School activities and environments.

· Ability to think logically and creatively to provide practical solutions to a changing range of problems and issues.

· Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to collaborate with staff and volunteers.

· Ability to manage challenging behaviour.

· Ability to work positively both as a member of a team and independently, with general direction and within a clear framework of accountability.

· Self-motivated and able to use own initiative.

· Good verbal communication skills.

· A flexible and proactive work ethic and positive attitude.

· Punctual and organised.

· Ability to work under pressure.

· Willingness to be flexible.

· To have a keen interest in, and/or experience of, one or more of the activities undertaken at Mudlarks

Desirable

· Written communication skills necessary to present information in written reports and correspondence.

DBS Clearance

Please note that as this post will involve working with children and vulnerable adults, your appointment is subject to you receiving satisfactory DBS clearance.

*Please note that The Mudlarks Community would fund a level 3 qualification, however the enrollment, exam and associated costs would be repayable from the candidate to Mudlarks in the event of them resigning from the role within 3 years of completing the course, or failing to complete the course.

The Churchill Fellowship is a unique community of changemakers, united by a mission to learn from the world and transform lives across the UK. Since 1965, we have awarded over 6,000 Fellowships to individuals tackling society’s most pressing challenges, from protecting the environment to preventing domestic abuse, from increasing youth employment to enriching urban spaces. Each year, we award around 100 new Fellowships to individuals who bring their lived or learned experience to issues they care passionately about. We support them to travel overseas, discover new solutions, and bring that learning back to benefit communities across the UK. Collectively, they create impact that reaches across sectors, generations and regions.

As we celebrate our 60th anniversary and look ahead to the next chapter of our work, we are seeking a talented and values-driven Chief Operating Officer to help shape and strengthen our organisation for the future.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive and working closely with Trustees and the Senior Leadership Team, the COO will provide strategic and operational leadership across finance, governance, compliance, risk, digital infrastructure, facilities and data management. You will ensure our systems are robust, future-focused and aligned with our mission, enabling us to deliver with confidence and ambition. You will also lead the organisation’s approach to sustainability, embedding practical systems and policies to reduce our environmental impact.

We are looking for an experienced leader who combines strong financial acumen with broad expertise in governance, risk and compliance. You will be able to translate strategy into effective systems and processes, while also driving digital innovation and operational improvements. Just as importantly, you will bring a collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with the ability to develop a positive culture and inspire high performance across your teams. Strong influencing, communication and relationship-building skills will be essential, alongside a passion for our mission and values.

At the Churchill Fellowship, we are guided by the values of inclusivity, investment in people, appreciation, collaboration and creativity. We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in everything we do, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds who share our mission to support individuals dedicated to transforming society.

We are looking for that special person with drive, empathy and business acument to support Circle an already proven and successful youth employment charity to the next level. Our model achieves very high outcomes as we take small cohorts and listen to what our young people want. We have partnerships with many large corporates who understand how we are differant from most charities.

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for someone to join the College as Head of the Chief Executive’s Office. This pivotal role ensures the smooth running of the Executive Office and provides high-level strategic and operational support across the College. You will work closely with the Chief Executive, President, Vice Presidents, Executive Directors, and senior leaders, helping the College achieve its mission of improving women’s health care worldwide.

 No two days are the same and, as lead of the Executive Support Team, you will be part of a collaborative, values-led team that enables leaders to focus on strategic priorities. Responsible for ensuring the Executive office runs smoothly, you will be instrumental in ensuring decisions are well-informed, governance processes are effective and stakeholder relationships are strengthened.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the Chief Executive’s Office team to deliver high-quality support

• Provide strategic and operational advice to the Chief Executive and senior leaders

• Produce and quality-assure CEO reports, briefings and presentations and oversee forward planning and scheduling of priorities

• Manage CEO-led committees and groups including coordination of CEO and President's travel

• Oversee budget, planning, projects and events led by the Chief Executive

• Act as a key contact for internal and external stakeholders, ensuring seamless communication and engagement.

 This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys leading a team, driving operational excellence and making a real difference to the College’s mission and strategic priorities.

For the full list of key responsibilities, please check the recruitment pack.

About you

This role is well-suited to someone who combines outstanding organisation with sound judgement and calm, confident communication. You are proactive and have experience managing senior executives, building productive relationships and balancing multiple, demanding and fast-moving priorities.

Requirements:

• Experience of managing a senior leader’s office or equivalent environment

• Proven experience of line management and leading a team

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence at senior level

• Ability to manage complex workloads with discretion and professionalism

• Familiarity with governance processes and project management.

 Please note, that while we are looking for someone who has experience managing a senior leader’s office and strong organisational and stakeholder management skills, we encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply, especially those who are proactive and collaborative. If you are excited about joining a values-led organisation with ambitious goals and a supportive, inclusive culture, we would love to hear from you. We will support you to get up to speed, but confidence managing complex schedules, communications and projects for senior leaders from the start would be helpful.

Our culture and benefits

As a key member of the team, you will be located in our offices in London Bridge. We offer a friendly, values led working culture with an excellent benefits package that includes:

• Agile and flexible working environment and free lunch onsite

• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and office closure from 25 December to 1 January

• 10% pension contribution after probation

• Enhanced wellbeing and family support

• Interest-free bike and season ticket loans after probation

• Tailored Learning and Development and study leave

• Affinity staff networks

• Life assurance and income protection schemes

• Lifestyle discounts

For a full list of the benefits we offer, please visit our careers site.

How to apply

• Applications close at 10.00 am on Monday 22 September 2025

• We encourage candidates to apply early and reserve the right to close the advert and appoint before the closing date.

We believe that diverse teams will deliver the best outcomes for women's healthcare and we strive to be an inclusive employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and particularly encourage candidates from underrepresented groups, including those from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds and people with disabilities. To find out more, please see our Diversity Policy and Equal Opportunities Policy on our careers site.

Please note: We are only accepting applicants with a right to work in the UK; we are unable to sponsor people requiring a work visa.

Step into a transformative journey with Working Options

We're on a mission to empower young people aged 14-19 across England and Wales, and you can help make a real difference.

Following our successful Wales pilot supporting 15,000 young people since launching in 2024, we're scaling regionally. In 2025 we're focusing on Bedfordshire, and that is where we need you, while also responding to needs across England and Wales, aiming to reach 90,000+ young people in-person and 2.5 million+ online across both nations.

As a Project Coordinator you'll connect volunteers with schools and foster impactful relationships within our dynamic, entrepreneurial environment. We believe in inclusivity, trying new things, setting high expectations, and creating real opportunities for young people.

Working from home with occasional team meet-ups, events, and school visits, you'll join a dedicated team that values high expectations and individual contributions to help young people achieve positive outcomes.

If you're passionate, self-motivated, and eager to contribute to a great mission, this is your chance to join a team that's helping young people to transform their career and life chances.

Don't just take our word for it, here's what one of our young people had to say: "My personal experience has been exceptional. There is a collaborative atmosphere, and it is truly empowering to be part of a charity that values student input and involves us in decisions that directly affect our lives." – Working Options Alumnae.

Find out more about the role, and hear from our Chief Executive about our charity's ambitions, via the applicant pack linked below.

Person specification

We are looking for someone who:

• Has a genuine interest in our work and in the greater Bedfordshire area and/or South of England in easy reach of Bedfordshire.
• Is fully committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. 
• Is self-motivated.
• Has excellent attention to detail. 
• Can juggle multiple priorities, sticking to deadlines and flagging when priorities need reviewing. 
• Has a flair for developing great relationships, particularly with schools and colleges. 
• Is proactive and tenacious, able to seek out new opportunities and remain resilient. 
• Is creative and likes coming up with new ideas. 
• Is ambitious for themselves and for the charity. 
• Has high computer literacy.

While we don't specify this in our person specification, we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who have experienced some of the challenges that young people across England and Wales face today.

If you like the sound of this environment, we would love to hear from you.

Good luck with your application!

Job Title: Senior Programme Officer, Active Fellows

Line Manager: Team Leader, Active Fellows (Deputy Fellowship Programme Manager in Team Leader’s absence)

Salary: £36,062

Start date: 1 November 2025

Contract type: Permanent

Application deadline: 16 October 2025. Please note we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis

Benefits:

• Challenging and rewarding work, always life-changing, sometimes lifesaving

• Competitive salary

• Team and individual training opportunities

• Commitment to performance and personal development

• Hybrid working, home and office (minimum 2 days each week in the office)

• Eight hours each day Monday – Friday, with flexible working by arrangement around core hours of 10am – 4pm

• 25 days plus Bank Holidays annual leave entitlement

• 8% employer pension contribution

• Convenient office location at Elephant and Castle, close to Tube (Bakerloo and Northern lines) and bus routes

Role Purpose Statement

The Senior Officer, Active Fellows plays a key role in delivering high-quality support to Cara Fellows. This includes leading casework, coordinating Cara’s mentoring scheme to support Fellows’ placements, and contributing to strategic improvements across the Fellowship Programme. The role combines direct support to Fellows, operational oversight and delivery of casework, and collaborative leadership to support Cara to uphold its mission.

Organisational Background

The Council for At-Risk Academics is a UK-registered charity founded in 1933 under the leadership of William Beveridge, to rescue academics suffering persecution under the rise of Nazism and facilitate their continued work in safety. Sixteen Cara Fellows from the 1930s and 1940s became Nobel Laureates, and many more innovators in their fields, including, Nikolaus Pevsner, Lise Meitner and Karl Popper. A number of Cara’s founders and Council members also personally provided places and/or funds to help individual academics; and Cara, known in the 1930s as the AAC, later the SPSL, was closely involved in the successful effort in 1933 to bring to London the Warburg Institute art library, which had been prohibited by the Nazis, and six of its staff. The Fellowship Programme is the continuation of the rescue mission operation started in 1933.

Cara has been a lifeline to academics at risk for over 90 years, as and when world events have placed them in the line of fire: Hungarian Uprising, Cold War, Apartheid South Africa, Iran, Latin American Juntas, Vietnam, Kosovo, DRC, Rwanda, Sudan, Zimbabwe etc. and, more recently Iraq, Turkey, Yemen, Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Cara support is typically framed as temporary sanctuary offered at times of heightened risk.

Cara Objectives ‘To assist academics who have been, or are, or are at risk of being, subject to discrimination, persecution, suffering or violence on account of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, to relieve needs among them and their dependants and ensure that their specialist knowledge and abilities can continue to be used for the benefit of the public.’

‘To advance education by supporting academics and their educational institutions in countries where their continuing work is at risk or compromised, to ensure that such academics and institutions can continue to fulfil their critical role as educators for the public benefit.’

This is a critical time to join our dedicated and friendly Fellowship Programme team as we expand our capacity to support at-risk academics from the Middle East, Sudan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Russia and many other countries.

Key Responsibilities

Fellowships

Casework

· Manage a caseload of up to 50 Cara Fellows, providing tailored support.

· Maintain accurate and GDPR-compliant records of casework activity.

· Liaise with Fellows to coordinate support and escalate complex cases to the Team Leader as required.

· Monitor, research and update visa guidance to reflect changes in complex immigration regulation.

· Keep up to date with relevant information regarding immigration laws, e.g. visas, legal procedures, etc.

· Liaise with independent legal advisors where necessary.

Finance

· Work with colleagues in finance to ensure accurate and timely payments to Cara Fellows and non-Fellowship related payments.

· Promptly issue relevant invoices.

· Understand financial processes – on Salesforce and Pleo – and update systems appropriately.

· Contribute to robust financial processes.

Support Mechanisms

Mentoring Scheme

· Project Lead for the Cara Mentoring Scheme.

· Coordinate rounds, delegate tasks to the team as required, and oversee delivery.

· Recruit mentors and mentees, and decide on a cap on number of participants if required.

· Lead on partnerships with organisations working in the mentoring world.

· Monitor the relevant budget and flag issues to the Team Leader.

· Lead on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for the Scheme, suggesting improvements to this, and ensuring accurate data collection and reporting.

Webinars and Workshops

· Lead on developing ideas for webinar topics relevant to the needs of Cara Fellows.

· Organise these webinars, contacting speakers and attendees, all with the close support of the Programme Assistant.

· Monitor and evaluate the success of these events, through clear feedback mechanisms.

· Aim to deliver approximately three webinars per year, subject to team capacity.

· Lead on the delivery of workshops for Cara Fellows with external partners, managing Fellow participation.

· Contribute to the development of accessible resources to share openly within the Cara network.

Strategic Development

Alumni Engagement and Impact Reporting

· Play a key supporting role to the Team Leader in improving Cara’s alumni engagement.

· Contribute to developing Cara’s alumni network, with involvement in strategic discussions on interacting with alumni.

· Keep track of Cara Fellows’ media preferences and support the Team Leader in inviting relevant Fellows to participate in public events and media engagements.

Monitoring and Evaluation

· Support M&E activities across the Fellowship Programme, suggesting improvements to data quality and reporting.

· Ensure accurate data entry on Salesforce and flag inconsistencies to relevant team members.

· Assist with compilation of required information, statistics and reporting to Cara’s Council & F&GPC meetings.

Management Responsibilities

Deputise for Team Leader

· Cover for the Team Leader when required – lead team meetings, make decisions on cases for the team, provide general guidance and leadership.

· Assist the Team Leader with line management within the team, mentoring junior staff and contributing to continued team development.

· Approve the Active Fellows team’s working hours.

· Provide input on policy and process improvements.

· Show adaptability and willingness to take on additional work when needed.

Training/Inductions

· Play a leading role on inducting new staff to the Active Fellows and wider Cara team.

· Train new staff on key processes and offer continued guidance on difficult/complex cases and tasks.

Partnerships

· Support key strategic partnerships in Cara’s Universities and Research Network.

· Support the Team Leader in organising webinars and events for Cara’s network representatives at host institutions across the UK.

Ad Hoc Responsibilities

· Show adaptability and willingness to take on additional work when necessary.

· Support Fellowship Programme with ad hoc responsibilities.

Responsibilities also include related activities that might arise in relation to the Fellowship Programme as required by the Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive & Fellowship Programme Manager, Deputy Fellowship Programme Manager, or Team Leader, Active Fellows.

Person Specification – Senior Programme Officer, Active Fellows:

Qualifications

Essential:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Strong analytical and numeracy skills

Desirable:

• Master’s degree or equivalent

Knowledge & Experience

Essential:

• Understanding of UK immigration options for displaced academics
• Experience managing sensitive casework and maintaining accurate records
• Experience coordinating projects, events, or support schemes
• Familiarity with basic financial processes (e.g. payments, budget tracking)
• Confident use of Microsoft Office and Salesforce or other CRM systems

Desirable:

• Awareness of global issues affecting at-risk academics
• Experience coordinating mentoring programmes or similar initiatives

Skills & Attributes

Essential:

• Cultural sensitivity and commitment to Cara’s mission
• Ability to supervise and mentor junior staff
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong attention to detail and time management
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Adaptability, integrity, and problem-solving ability

Desirable:

• Foreign language skills (e.g. Arabic, Farsi/Dari, Pashto, Ukrainian, Russian)